Haemorrhagic septicaemia hits fourth district in Terengganu

DUNGUN: Dungun becomes the fourth district in Terengganu that records the death of reared animals due to haemorrhagic septicaemia after Marang, Kuala Terengganu and Kuala Nerus.
Terengganu Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) director Dr Mohd Termizi Ghazali said that Kampung Padang Pulut here recorded 38 deaths of cows since three weeks ago involving eight breeders.
"Most of them do not realise that their livestock are infected by the disease but when many of the animals begin dying, they straight away report it to us.
"The DVS will monitor the livestock in the village and will vaccinate the reared animals located around a five-kilometre radius from Kampung Padang Pulut as soon as possible," he told reporters after meeting with the animal breeders affected by the disease here today.
The disease had hit three districts in the state since the end of May, with 354 deaths of reared animals, comprising 298 cows and 56 buffaloes.
However, the situation was improving with the last deaths recorded in Kuala Nerus on June 11, Kuala Terengganu (June 21) and Marang (July 2).
Meanwhile, some breeders when met expressed their concerns over the disease which had begun to spread to Dungun.
Md Arif Hasan, 30, said he had suffered losses of more than RM50,000 with the sudden death of 18 of his cows.
"I thought the deaths were nothing unusual, but when the animals just keep on dying, I began to suspect that the deaths were all due to the disease.
"This is the first time I have suffered heavy losses. Before this, only eight cows died from the foot-and-mouth disease," said Md Arif who thanked DVS for the fast action to eradicate the epidemic.
Another breeder, Mohd Zawawi Ishak, 37, said six out of 25 cows that he owned had died from haemorrhagic septicaemia over the last few days.
"I really hope that this epidemic can be fully controlled because I don't want to suffer much more. I want to thank the DVS for guiding us on the standard operating procedures that needed to be taken to deal with the epidemic," he said. — Bernama